1000+ images about The Great Star Of Africa on Pinterest | Africa, The star and Diamonds Learn more at dailymail.co.uk Queen of diamonds: Together for the first time, the royal gems all cut from one legendary stone The worlds largest diamond ever found the Cullinan Diamond was cut up to make the british crown Jewels. Some of which produced Cullinan III and IV Brooch, commissioned by Queen Mary in 1911, and the Delhi Durbar Necklace and Cullinan Pendant More Learn more at orderofsplendor.blogspot.co.uk Cullinan I, the First or Greater Star of Africa The largest diamond is Cullinan I. Weighing in at 530.2 carats, it measures 2 1/8” long, 1 ¾” wide, and 1” thick at its deepest part. It was cut and polished by Asscher's into a pear shape with 76 facets, and is the largest colorless cut diamond in the world.

More 1000+ images about The Great Star of Africa on Pinterest | The golden, Africa and Birthdays Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas The Great Star of Africa 4 Pins118 Followers The Great Star of Africa, aka the Cullinan I, was cut from the Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality diamond found to date (South Africa in 1905). It is currently owned by Queen Elizabeth II and is mounted in the Royal Scepter, on display as part of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, England. great star of africa | Tumblr great star of africa Grid View List View 2 Elizabeth II’s Cullinan V Brooch, so named after the heart-shaped Cullinan V diamond at its center. At 18.8 carats it’s the fifth-largest piece of the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond; the nine largest pieces of the Cullinan are numbered I through IX and they all either belong to Elizabeth personally or are part of Great Britain’s Crown Jewels.

The largest chunk is the 530-carat Great Star of Africa, set in the head of the Sovereign’s Sceptre and displayed with the rest of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. The Queen wears the Cullinan V (bottom) often. The Crown Jewels: The Queen's cursed diamond | Express Yourself | Comment | Daily Express VIDS The Crown Jewels: The Queen's cursed diamond AS BRITAIN is urged to return the fabled Koh-i-Noor gem to India, we reveal the story behind the precious stone and the other treasures that make up the Crown Jewels. 00:00, Fri, Jul 30, 2010 The Koh-i-Noor, set in the late Queen Mother's crown, and Queen Elizabeth [] The Koh-i-Noor The 186-carat gem, whose name means Mountain of Light in Persian, was mined in India around 1100. It carries a curse lethal to male owners and “only God or a woman can wear it with impunity”.

After a blood-soaked history in which several of its male owners were violently dethroned, it came into the possession of the ruler of the Punjab, the so-called Lion of Lahore. His young son Duleep Singh lost the Punjab when it was annexed by the East India Company after the Anglo-Sikh Wars and the nine-year-old Maharajah was made to travel to London to present it to Queen Victoria during the Great Exhibition of 1851. It was eventually set into the Imperial State Crown. Since 1911 it has been incorporated into crowns worn by the female consort, including the late Queen Mother, who wore it at the coronation of George VI in 1937 and her daughter’s coronation in 1953. Both India and Pakistan have laid claim to the priceless jewel. The first request for its restoration came from Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1976.

The British prime minister of the day Jim Callaghan refused, replying: “I need not remind you of the various hands through which the stone has passed over the past two centuries, nor that explicit provision for its transfer to the British Crown was made in the peace treaty with the Maharajah of Lahore. I could not advise Her Majesty the Queen that it should be surrendered.” In 2002 the Indian High Commissioner to London accused Britain of flaunting the spoils of empire when the Queen Mother’s crown was carried on her coffin. This week David Cameron said that it would not be returned to India either. The Cullinan Diamond The largest diamond ever found was discovered at a mine in the Transvaal, South Africa, in 1905. Weighing 3,106 carats (1.3lb), it was named after the mine’s chairman Thomas Cullinan. It was sent to England in the ordinary parcel post while a decoy was sent on a heavily guarded ship. When a buyer could not be found it was purchased by the Transvaal government for £150,000 and presented to King Edward VII on his 66th birthday.

It was then cut into nine major stones and 96 small brilliants. The two largest were incorporated into the Crown Jewels. Cullinan I, the Star of Africa, is at the head of the Sovereign’s Sceptre. Cullinan II, the Second Star of Africa, is in the front band of the Imperial State Crown.Cullinan III and IV, known in the Royal Family as “the chips”, are part of a brooch in the Queen’s collection. The Black Prince’s Ruby The very large red stone at the front of the Imperial State Crown is not a ruby but a semi-precious balas or spinel. The stone was once owned by Don Pedro the Cruel, King of Castile (in present-day Spain). He gave it to Edward, Prince of Wales, known as the Black Prince. The eldest son of King Edward III this great military leader defeated Don Pedro’s rival and half-brother Henry the Bastard in 1367, hence the gift. Henry V wore the jewel in his helmet at the Battle of Agincourt.

Queen Elizabeth’s Earrings The four large drop-shaped pearls in the Imperial State Crown are believed to have been given to Catherine de Medici on her marriage to Henry II of France in 1533. She later gave them to her daughter-in-law Mary Queen of Scots. After Mary’s execution they were allegedly bought by her cousin and captor Elizabeth I. Because three are pierced they were wrongly thought to have been earrings. The Stuart Sapphire Set on the back of the Imperial State Crown this magnificent blue stone was reputedly smuggled from England by James II in 1688 when he fled to France during the Glorious Revolution. It passed to his son James Stuart, the “Old Pretender” to George IV when he was Prince Regent, and was set in Queen Victoria’s Crown in 1838. A GLITTERING HISTORY: On the seventh anniversary of King Charles II’s ­coro­nation Samuel Pepys took merrily lubricated guests on a short excursion from his home in the City of London.

“After dinner I carried them to the Tower and showed them all to be seen there,” the diarist wrote, “and among other things, the crown and sceptres and rich plate, which I myself never saw before and indeed is noble and I [was] mightily pleased with it.” One attraction the party could not enjoy back in that spring evening of 1668 was the Koh-i-Noor, the ­magnificent Indian jewel that would be ­presented to Queen Victoria in the mid-19th century and which the ­Indian government would now like returned. Otherwise the finery ­probably looked as impressive as it does today. Nearly two and a half million ­people visited the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London last year. Another 8,900 were there yesterday, patiently ­queueing – “we prefer to call it a ‘line of anticipation’,” says chief exhibitor Keith Hanson – to stand on the slow conveyor belts which give everyone a fair look at the glass cases. Traditionally monarchs have crowns for everyday use but special ones for their coronation. The Crown Jewels are the regalia used in the ancient coro­nation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

The Imperial State Crown last saw the light of day a month or so ago at the State Opening of Parliament. But St Edward’s Crown, made for Charles II in 1661 and weighing nearly 5lb, is only used at the moment of crowning. It was last used for about 15 minutes in 1953. Many of the Crown Jewels dating from the Anglo-Saxon period were lost by King John in a marshy area of The Wash in 1216. The replacement set were stolen from ­Westminster ­Abbey in an ­audacious heist in 1303. The robbers were put to a nasty death and some items were recovered. After that they were held in the altogether more secure confines of the Tower – but even those defences proved ­inadequate when Charles I was ­executed in 1649 and England became a republic. The “trifles” of monarchy were melted down and most of the treasures in their present form date from the restoration of Charles II. But Hanson stresses that a strong thread of continuity ­remains.

“When the crowns were melted down the jewels themselves were kept in the Treasury so we still have the Black Prince Ruby worn by Henry V at ­Agincourt,” he says. ­Neither does the melted-down gold seem to have been used for anything else: it was still in the Treasury vaults when the jewels were remade. Some coronations were more extravagant than others. The blingiest monarch was flamboyant George IV, who described his ­ceremony as ­“gorgeous and ­extravagant”. With 12,314 ­diamonds on his crown he wasn’t kidding. His brother William IV came to the throne determined to cut costs. He held a so-called “penny ­coronation” to the consternation of his German consort Queen Adelaide, who had a crown made of gold and set with diamonds and coloured stones broken from ­personal royal jewellery at her own expense. In 1838 a misunderstanding at the royal jewellers meant the ­Coronation Ring was too small for Queen Victoria and the Archbishop of Canterbury had to force it on to her finger. “I had the greatest ­difficulty to take it off again, which at last I did with great pain,” she wrote.

Gold crowns need to be remade every century or so because the metal weakens and the stones are in danger of falling out. That means the Imperial State Crown, made for the coronation of George VI in 1937 and adapted for the present queen’s ceremony 16 years later, should just about be good for the next ­coronation. Meanwhile the Koh-i-Noor, only used for female crowns for fear of an ancient Indian curse was set in no fewer than four crowns after its arrival in Britain. It was worn by the reigning Queen ­Victoria and consorts Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and the late Queen Mother. Will the gem be removed in due course from the Queen ­Mother’s Crown to grace the locks of a ­putative Queen Camilla? “It won’t need to be,” says Hanson tactfully. “The Queen Mother’s crown is platinum-based, which is much more stable than gold so it won’t need to be remade.” British Crown Jewels | Tumblr British Crown Jewels 2 The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara The tiara was given to Queen Mary (of Teck) as a wedding gift when she and the future King George V married in 1893.

After some alterations by Queen Mary, the tiara (without it’s base) was then given to Elizabeth as a wedding gift. She has worn it frequently and is known to refer to it as “Granny’s tiara.” It wasn’t until the 1950s that Elizabeth II realized that the tiara had a separate base, and since then, the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara has been worn as one piece. 7 The Jewelled Sword of Offering, 1820. Created for the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom. It is decorated on both faces with the national emblems of England, Scotland and Ireland (roses, thistles and shamrocks) Reblog 5 The British Crown Jewels. The Sceptre, The Imperial State Crown, The Imperial State Crown of India, The Orb & Ceremonial sword are only some of the objects part of the Crown Jewel collection regalia. Arguably the grandest and most well known of any crown jewels world wide, The British Crown Jewels have been subject to tales of attempted theft, and everlasting intrigue. 3 Queen Victoria’s small diamond crown Worn for the first time in 1871 at the opening of Parliament.

This crown was created for Queen Victorian and became her favorite because it’s small size allowed her to wear it on top of her widow’s cap. The crown went on to be owned by Queen Alexandra and then Queen Mary. Made by the Crown Jewellers, R.S. Garrard & Co. in 1870 Reblog 10 The Imperial State Crown of the United Kingdom, held in the Jewel House in the Tower of London alongside the other British Crown Jewels. The Imperial State Crown includes many precious gems, including 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 5 rubies. The Crown includes several famous jewels: the cross at the top is set with a stone known as St.

Edward’s Sapphire (1042), a sapphire taken from the ring (or coronet) of Edward the Confessor; the Black Prince’s Ruby (1367) (actually a spinel) is set on the front cross pattée; the famous Cullinan II, or Second Star of Africa, is set on the front of the band, replacing in 1909, the 104-carat (20.8 g) Stewart/ Stuart Sapphire (1214), which now sits at the back. The Crown also contains Queen Elizabeth I’s Pearls (reportedly belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots) under the orb. 7 Day Twenty-Nine: Favorite wedding of all time There is no one that I love absolutely above the rest. I watch the videos of these weddings frequently, sorry anything before HD really drives me nutters Loading... Show more notes Reblog Margaret of Connaught, Crown Princess of Sweden and Duchess of Skåne, wearing the Cameo Tiara and Parure (c.1910). Reblog 7 Loading... Show more notes Reblog The Sceptre with the Cross, part of the British Crown Jewels.

It contains the second largest diamond in the world, the Great Star of Africa (Cullinan I). My Top 10 Favorite British Royal Tiaras My Top 10 Favorite British Royal Tiaras 10-Strathmore Rose Tiara; This is the Strathmore Rose Tiara. Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (the future Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) received it as a gift from her father, the Earl of Strathmore, for her wedding in 1923. The piece itself is likely older than that; it may have already been an antique when the Earl purchased it. The tiara features a garland of wild roses in diamonds mounted in silver and gold. Suzy Menkes states in The Royal Jewels that the individual elements can be removed and worn separately. 09-Delhi Durbar Tiara; The circlet was made by Garrards, especially for Queen Mary during the Delhi Durbar on December 12,1911 - hence its name. Durbar is Hindi, for a ‘ceremonial gathering to pay homage’. The gathering was to install King George V and Queen Mary as Emperor and Empress of India.

King George V admired this piece and referred to it as “May’s best tiara”. It was originally worn with detachable emerald drops and at the Durbar, Queen Mary wore it over a crimson velvet cap. 08-Duchess of Teck Rose Crescent; The Teck Crescent Tiara came into the British royal family by way of Queen Mary’s mother, Princess Mary Adelaide, the Duchess of Teck. This diamond diadem, featuring three wild roses separated by crescent shapes, is thought to have been a wedding present for her marriage in 1866. ary Adelaide wore the tiara atop two rows of diamond rivieres for additional height. She’s also demonstrating that the individual elements can be removed. Mary Adelaide’s daughter-in-law, the next Duchess of Teck, was also seen wearing the tiara (above), but at some point it passed into the hands of Queen Mary, who gave it to Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother). Somewhere along the road, the two rows of diamonds from the bottom were removed. 07-1936 Cartier Halo Scroll Tiara; Originally worn by the Queen Mother, Lady Elizabeth.

The tiara was purchased by the Duke of York (King George VI) for the Duchess of York (the Queen Mother) in 1936. It is a rolling cascade of scrolls that converge in a central ornament surmounted by a brilliant diamond. The tiara was most recently worn at the wedding of Catherine Middleton and Prince William, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Queen loaned the tiara to Miss Middleton for the day. 06-Lady Mountbatten’s tiara; Thought to have been made around 1910 by a leading French jeweller, possibly Chaumet or Cartier, it is pierced and millegrain-set with circular-cut diamonds in a design of meandering scroll and trefoil motifs. Set in platinum, the tiara has a distinctly modern feel - its fluid symmetry setting it apart from the more formal designs associated with heavier and earlier pieces set in silver and gold. The tiara and jewels were passed on to Lady Mountabatten’s daughter, Lady Pamela Hicks nee Mountbatten, who was a bridesmaid in her cousin Duke Philip’s wedding to the future Queen Elizabeth in 1947.

05-The Vladimir Tiara; This tiara is a genuine Russian article, made by a Russian jeweler for the Grand Duchess Vladimir. During the Russian Revolution, the Duchess moved with her family to safety while her jewels were hidden in a vault in the Vladimir Palace. The looters never found the treasure, and a member of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service friendly with the Duchess’ family managed to rescue the jewels and send them back to her. The Duchess commissioned the tiara to have Oriental pearl drops, as seen in the first image. This is the original design. When Queen Mary bought the tiara from Princess Nicolas of Greece, Duchess Vladimir’s daughter, she had the last of her Cambridge emeralds made into drops and set in the tiara (above). These emeralds are interchangeable with the pearls, and both styles are worn by Queen Elizabeth II. 04-The Fife Tiara; Given to Princess Louise (daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) on her marriage by her husband the Duke of Fife. 03-The Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara; This crown consists of pearls that hang from 19 diamond arches capped with lover’s knots. The piece was composed with existing jewels that Queen Mary had in her collection.

This tiara originated in 1913/1914 when it was commissioned from Garrard by Queen Mary. She modeled it from a tiara owned by her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse. After Mary died in 1953, the tiara was passed to Queen Elizabeth II who wore it regularly throughout the 1950s. The crown, however, went back into storage until the marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer. Queen Elizabeth gave the lover’s knot tiara to Princess Diana as a wedding gift in 1981. 02-The Spencer Tiara; Although worn by several Spencer women, this tiara is most associated with Diana, Princess of Wales. Worn most famously at her wedding in 1981 as her something borrowed. She also wore it all through her official life as a member of the royal family, for state banquets, openings of Parliament, and diplomatic receptions. Diana regarded this tiara as her 'spare’, the other being the Lover’s Knot Tiara, which she received as a wedding gift from the Queen..

Throughout the later part of her married life, she wore the Spencer tiara more often, taking pride in her Spencer heritage, and also because it wasn’t as heavy as the Lover’s Knot tiara. 01-Queen Mary’s Girls of Great Britain & Ireland tiara; One of Queen Elizabeth’s favourite pieces of jewellery is the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara which is also referred to as “Granny’s Tiara”. It was a wedding gift to Elizabeth by her devoted grandmother Queen Mary in 1947 along with a number of other pieces. However the tiara had originally been given to Princess Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary) as a wedding present in 1893 by a committee started by Lady Eve Greville. The committee was established to raise money to purchase a wedding gift from the ‘Girls of Great Britain and Ireland’. They collected over £5,000 and bought the diamond tiara from Garrard.

South Africa: Massive Diamond Found in North West - allAfrica.com South Africa: Massive Diamond Found in North West more By Lavinia Mahlangu Pretoria — South Africa continues its reputation for yielding record breaking diamonds with Monday's find of what could be the largest diamond ever, at a mine in the North West. The gemstone, reputed to be twice the size of the Cullinan diamond, was en route to Johannesburg on Tuesday morning, under heavy guard. Speaking on SABC radio, a company spokesman said they would decide what next to do with the precious stone, after it was examined and photographed in Johannesburg. Until now, the largest gem quality rough diamond ever found was the Cullinan Diamond. It was found near Pretoria in January 1905, weighing in at 3106.75 carats (621.35 grams). It was cut into three stones at first and eventually into some 11 large gem-quality stones and a number of smaller fragments, by the Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam. The two largest polished gems from the original stone, namely Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa and Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa, are part of the British crown jewels.

They are mounted on the Sceptre with the Cross and the Imperial State Crown respectively. These are now part of Great Britain's crown jewels and are on display in the Tower of London. Meanwhile, in his State of the National Address in February, President Thabo Mbeki announced that government will buy 10 percent of local diamonds for resale to local jewel crafters. Mr Mbeki outlined government's intention, to develop an overarching strategy this year to prioritise key interventions in mining and processing minerals amongst others. "With regard to mineral beneficiation for instance, we will set up a State Diamond Trader that will purchase 10 percent of diamonds from local producers and sell them to local cutters and producers," Mr Mbeki explained. "We are happy that DeBeers has agreed to assist free of charge with management, technical skills and asset provision for a period of three years." Should even 10 percent of South African diamonds be kept here while diamond cutting and jewel setting skills are developed locally, the increased value in the stones' worth would benefit the local economy. Minister of Minerals and Energy, Buyelwa Sonjica, in May outlined how South Africa would add value to its precious stones and metals, locally.

"We are developing skills in the jewellery sector for our people to be able to take leadership roles and for the provinces to be able to play a supporting role when we start implementing the Diamond Amendment Act, the Second Diamond Amendment Act and the Precious Metals Act," the minister said Wednesday, delivering her first budget vote in her new portfolio. These amendments, she explained, would usher in a more representative South African Diamonds and Precious Metals Regulator to replace the South African Diamond Board. This will mark a turn-around to the centuries old practice of the majority of South Africa's mineral wealth being mined and then shipped abroad, to be made into expensive cut-stones and jewellery in Europe. "The Diamond Exchange and Export Centre to be introduced will monitor the export of diamonds whilst the State Diamond Trader would make diamonds available solely to the diamond beneficiators," she explained, expanding on the President's remarks earlier in the year. Copyright © 2007 BuaNews. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media ( allAfrica.com ). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 700 reports a day from more than 140 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . Dazzling Diamonds - And Other African Precious Gems - Africa.com #1 The Cullinan The Cullinan diamond is the big daddy of all the diamonds in the world. The precious gem is the largest rough diamond ever found, weighing over 3,ooo carats. Found at a mine in South Africa in 1905, the gem was divided into smaller stones. The largest, Cullinan I, is popularly known as the Great Star of Africa. It’s currently the second largest polished diamond in the world and is placed in the Sceptre with the Cross , part of the British Crown Jewels.

Cullinan II, also known as the Lesser Star of Africa – and weighs more than 300 carats – is also part of the British Crown Jewels. #2 Queen of Kilimanjaro First discovered in northern Tanzania in 1967, Tanzanite is considered one of the rarest gems in the world, found only on the foothills of Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. At 242 carats, the Queen of Kilimanjaro is not the largest tanzanite ever found, but it is certainly one of the most famous. Set in a tiara and encircled by over 900 brilliant cut diamonds and more than 800 brilliant cut green tsavorite garnets, it’s part of the private collection of Michael Scott, the first CEO of Apple Computers. #3 Millennium Sapphire Discovered in Madagascar in 1995, the Millennium Sapphire is nearly 90,000 carats and is said to be roughly the size of a rugby ball. Rather than cut it up into smaller pieces, the owners initiated the Millennium Sapphire project.

The faces of prominent historical figures (like Beethoven, Michaelangelo, Shakespeare and Albert Einstein) were carved into the gem “to pay tribute to humanity’s greatest examples of ingenuity and accomplishment.” Italian artist Alessio Boschi was chosen to design and oversee the carving process. #4 Eureka Diamond Currently on display at the Mine Museum in Kimberley, the Eureka Diamond is the first diamond ever found in South Africa . Weighing just over 20 carats, the diamond was found near a place called Hopetown in 1867 and prompted a “diamond rush” in that region. That same year it was put on display to the world at the Paris Exhibition. #5 Lesotho Promise Discovered in the Letseng diamond mine in Lesotho in 2006, the Lesotho Promise is one of the newer gems to be found on the continent. Weighing just over 600 carats, the diamond was sold to a dealer for over $12 million and was cut into 26 smaller stones. #6 Premier Rose Found in the late 70s in De Beers’ Premier Mine in South Africa, the Premier Rose is reportedly valued at over 10 million dollars.

It was originally purchased by Mouw Diamond Cutting Company (the wife of the owner was named Rose, hence the name given to the diamond). Three stones were cut from the original. Known as the Premier Rose family, there’s the Big Rose (137.02 carats), Little Rose (31.48 carats) and Baby rose (2.11 carats). #7 Jeremejevite While Namibia is not the first place in which the Jeremejevite crystal was found, Namibia is said to have the highest quality of the blue-colored gem. Described as a gemological rarity, the mineral was first discovered in Siberia, then in Swakopmund in 1973. #8 Kimberley Diamond Discovered in the Kimberley Mine in the early 1920s, the Kimberley Diamond was later cut into a very distinctive Emerald Cut shape. Now part of a private jewelry collection, the champagne-colored diamond it was once part of the Russian Crown Jewels. Over 55 carats in weight, it is reportedly worth at least $500,000.

Most expensive diamond per carat | Guinness World Records Most expensive diamond per carat Share When 12 May 2009 The record per carat is $1,375,938 (£854,705), for a 7.03-carat fancy vivid blue modified rectangular brilliant-cut diamond sold at Sotheby's, Geneva, Switzerland, on 12 May 2009. The total which it sold for was given in Swiss francs = CHF 10,498,500 or £6,000,000 ($9,959,000). The diamond was cut from an original stone, which weighed 26.58 carats, discovered in the Cullinan mine in Gauteng Province of South Africa, the same mine that produced the largest rough diamond in the world, from which was cut the Great Star of Africa, which is part of the Crown Jewels. All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search.

(You will be need to register / login for access) World's 10 Most Famous Diamonds The Orloff 300 Carats when found, color: slightly bluish green, clarity: exceptionally pure, cut: Mogul-cut rose, source: India. This gem may be found in the Diamond Treasury of Russia in Moscow. There are so many historical episodes involving the Orloff. First, it may have been set at one time as the diamond eye of Vishnu's idol (one of the Hindu Gods) in the innermost sanctuary temple in Sriangam, before being stolen in the 1700s by a French deserter. However, the deserter just dug one eye from its socket, because he was terror-stricken at the thought of retribution, so he couldn't take the other. He went to Madras, and sold the stone quickly to an English sea-captain for 2,000 pounds. The time passed, the stone arrived at Amsterdam where the Russian count Grigori Orloff, an ex-lover of Empress Catherine the Great was residing.

He heard about rumors of the stone, and he bought the diamond for 90,000 pounds and took it back to Russia for Catherine's favor. The stone has been called the Orloff since then. Catherine received his gift and had it mounted in the Imperial Sceptre. She gave a marble palace to Grigori in exchange for the Orloff. However, Grigori couldn't get Catherine's love. Grigori Orloff passed away at the nadir of disappointment in 1783. In 1812 the Russians, fearing that Napoleon with his Grand Army was about to enter Moscow, hid the Orloff in a priest's tomb. Napoleon supposedly discovered the Orloff's location and went to claim it. However, as a solider of the Army was about to touch the Orloff, a priest's ghost appeared and pronounced a terrible curse upon the Army. The Emperor, Napoleon scampered away without the Orloff. The Centenary Diamond 273.85 Carats, discovered at the Premier Mine, in July 1986. The 'Centenary' diamond weighed 599.10 carats in the rough.

Together with a small select team, master-cutter Gabi Tolkowsky took almost three years to complete its transformation into the world's largest, most modern-cut, top-colour, flawless diamond. Possessing 247 facets - 164 on the stone and 83 on its girdle - the aptly-named 'Centenary' diamond weighs 273.85 carats, and is only surpassed in size by the 530.20 carat 'Great Star of Africa' and the 317.40 carat 'Lesser Star of Africa', both of which are set into the British Crown Jewels. The 'Centenary' diamond was unveiled, appropriately at the Tower of London in May,1991. The Regent 140.50 Carats, although it is now surpassed in weight by other famous diamonds, the exceptional limpidity and perfect cut of the Regent give it an uncontestable reputation as the most beautiful diamond in the world. Discovered in India in 1698, it was acquired by Thomas Pitt, Governor of Madras, who sent it to England where it was cut.

In 1717 the Regent purchased it from Pitt for the French Crown. It first adorned the band of Louis XV's silver gilt crown (in the Louvre) at his coronation in 1722, going then to Louis XVI's crown in 1775. Later in 1801 it figured on the hilt of the First Consul's sword (Fontainebleau, Mus�e Napol�on 1st), and then on the Emperor's two-edged sword in 1812. In 1825 it was worn on the crown at the coronation of Charles x, and during the Second Empire it embellished the "Grecian diadem" of the Empress Eugenie. It can be seen today at the Louvre in Paris. Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light) 105.60 Carats, an oval cut gem, now part of the British Crown Jewels. The name of this diamond means "Mountain of Light" and its history, dating back to1304, is the longest of all famous diamonds.

It was captured by the Rajahs of Malwa in the sixteenth century by the Mogul, Sultan Babur and remained in the possession of later Mogul emperors. It may have been set in the famous Peacock Throne made for Shah Jehan. After the break-up of the Persian empire the diamond found its way to India. It may have traveled to Afghanistan with a bodyguard of Nadir Shah, who fled with the stone when the Shah was murdered, to be later offered to Ranjit Singh of the Punjab in exchange for military help (which was never delivered). After fighting broke out between the Sikhs and the British, The East India Company claimed the diamond as a partial indemnity, and then presented it to Queen Victoria in 1850. When the stone came from India, it weighed l986 carats; it was later recut to l08.93 carats. It was first worn by the Queen in a brooch. It was later set in the State Crown, worn by Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary, and 1937 was worn for by Queen Elizabeth for her coronation. It is kept in the Tower of London, with the other Crown Jewels.

The Taylor-Burton 69.42 Carats, color: F-G, clarity: IF, cut: Pear-shape, source: Premier Mine, Transvaal, South Africa. It was founded in 1966 in the Premier Mine in South Africa. The rough, which weighted 240.80 carats, was cut into a 69.42 pear shape diamond. As you might guess from the name, Richard Burton bought and named this stone as a gift for Elizabeth Taylor. Yes, Richard Burton bought it $1,100,000. He also named this stone as an engagement. After Burton's death in 1979, Liz Taylor sold the stone for charity and reportedly received $2.8 million. She donated in his memory to a hospital in Biafra. It was last seen in Saudi Arabia. The Sancy 55 Carats, it was cut in a pear shape and was first owned by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who lost it in battle in 1477.

The stone is in fact named after a later owner, Seigneur de Sancy, a French Ambassador to Turkey in the late 16th century. He loaned it to the French king, Henry III who wore it in the cap with which he concealed his baldness. Henry IV of France also borrowed the stone from Sancy, but it was sold in 1664 to James I of England. In 1688, James II, last of the Stuart kings of England, fled with it to Paris. It disappeared during the French revolution. The Blue Hope 45.52 Carats, the ironically named Hope diamond (named for its purchaser, Henry Thomas Hope) may have had a long and illustrious history before it became associated with a run of bad luck for its owners. It is thought to be a part of the famous Blue Tavernier Diamond, brought to Europe from India in l642. The Blue was purchased by King Louis XIV who had it cut to 67.50 carats from 112 carats to bring out its brilliance.

The diamond was stolen during the French Revolution, and a smaller diamond of similar color was sold in 1830 to Hope, an English banker. After inheriting the diamond, Hope's son lost his fortune. It was eventually acquired by an American widow, Mrs. Edward McLean, whose family then suffered a series of catastrophes: her only child was accidentally killed, the family broke up, Mrs. McLean lost her money, and then committed suicide. When Harry Winston, the New York diamond merchant, bought the stone in 1949, many clients refused to uch the stone. It is now on display at the Smithosonian Institute in Washington.

Question: The Great Star of Africa, part of the Crown Jewels, is what type of precious stone?
Answer: DIAMOND